Top 5 Tips to Get Your Child Support Payments
Divorced parents everywhere sometimes get a crash course in child support law not because they want to, but because they have problems getting the monetary support they need in order to take care of their kids.
What do you need to ensure you get your payments for child support? A court order? An airtight divorce agreement?
Getting child support may mean more than just a court decree. There are many ways to help parents ensure that they are able to get their child support payments, not limited to just the law.
Child Support Payment Tip #1: Make sure you know where the other parent lives. If you don't have reliable contact information for the other payment, getting child support may be that much tougher. Some states offer free assistance with locating the other parent of your child, so check with your state's laws to see if you could qualify.
Child Support Payment Tip #2: Be nice to your ex-spouse. If you are constantly arguing with your ex, chances are that if disputes arise over child support payments, things won't be resolved as quickly or easily.
Child Support Payment Tip #3: Establish paternity or legal fatherhood. If you are the mother who is seeking child support, ensuring that legally the other spouse is the "father" of the child might help secure payments.
Child Support Payment Tip #4: Make sure you have come to an agreement about the child support terms. Child support terms can either be decided through the court via a court order, or through a separate agreement between the parents.
Child Support Payment Tip #5: Educate yourself on child support law in your jurisdiction. This way, you'll have an idea of what kind of remedies or steps you can take if your ex doesn't pay up.
Of course, these tips on getting child support payment may not be enough to secure support from your ex. It might be useful to consult an attorney well-versed in child support law to assist your case.
Related Resources:
- Child Support by Agreement (FindLaw)
- Child Support by Court Order (FindLaw)
- Child Support Agreements in Native American Tribes (FindLaw's Law and Daily Life)
- Child Support in Michigan: Child Support Debt Rises (FindLaw's Law and Daily Life)
